For the third time in two days, a former Chicago Cubs starting pitcher has found a new home, as José Quintana has reportedly inked a deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
The report, from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, indicates that Quintana will reunite with his former manager Joe Maddon out in Los Angeles, giving the Angels another weapon for their pitching staff in the 2021 season:
Quintana spent parts of the last four seasons with the Cubs, coming over in a 2017 blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox that sent Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease to the South Side.
The hurler posted a record of 33-23 with a 4.24 ERA in 82 appearances with the Cubs, including four out of the team’s bullpen. At the conclusion of the 2020 season, the Cubs declined Quintana’s contract option, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
Injuries kept Quintana out of action for much of the season, but he’ll be hoping to rebound in Los Angeles with Maddon and company. The team is looking to build up its pitching rotation for the 2021 season, giving some backing to Andrew Heaney. Shohei Ohtani could be in the rotation as well, but after several injuries to his arm, it’s unclear how the Angels intend to use him moving forward.
As for the Cubs, this is the third pitcher they’ve seen head to other teams in the last two days. On Monday, Jon Lester reportedly agreed to a deal with the Washington Nationals, and Tyler Chatwood reportedly reached an agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Chicago Baseball
The Cubs have two guaranteed starters in 2021, with Kyle Hendricks and Zach Davies in the mix. Alec Mills will likely be in the rotation for the Cubs as well, and Adbert Alzolay is hoping to crack the rotation coming out of spring training.
